Former Stanford ace Appel, No. 1 pick in 2013 draft, retires
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2013 draft has walked away from baseball without every throwing a pitch in the major leagues.
Mark Appel, a hardthrowing pitcher from Stanford taken by the Houston Astros with the No. 1 pick in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft, has announced his intention to leave the game. He was released by Philadelphia in November ahead of the winter meeting draft.
Appel, a former East Bay prep star, told Bleacher Report he was at peace with his decision.
“If you want to call me the biggest draft bust, you can call it that,” Appel told Bleacher Report. “If I never get to the big leagues, will it be a disappointment? Yes and no. That was a goal and a dream I had at one point, but that’s with stipulations that I’m healthy, I’m happy and doing something I love. If I get to the big leagues, what’s so great about the big leagues if you’re in an isolated place, you’re hurt and you’re emotionally unhappy? How much is that worth to you?”
Appel grew up an Astros fan in West Houston, gradu- ated from Monte Vista High in Danville in 2009, became a college star at Stanford and received a $6.35 million signing bonus from Houston.
“I don’t know what the future holds. I’m pursuing other things, but also trying to become a healthy human,” Appel told Bleacher Report.
The 26-year- old Appel would become the third No. 1 overall pick to not make the major leagues after right-hander Steve Chilcott, chosen by the New York Mets in 1966, and lefthander Brien Taylor, se- lected by the New York Yankees in 1991.
Appel went 24-18 with a 5.06 ERA over five seasons in the minors with teams for the Astros and Philadelphia Phillies. He was picked by Houston ahead of Kris Bryant, taken by the Chicago Cubs with the second pick. Bryant was voted 2016 NL MVP after helping the Cubs win the World Series.
MLB SHOOTS FOR 2:55 AVERAGE TIME » Major League Baseball has offered to ditch its proposal for a pitch clock this year and also would go without one in 2019 if the average time of a nine-inning game drops to at least 2 hours, 55 minutes this season.
Speaking after a quarterly owners meeting ended Thursday in Los Angeles, Commissioner Rob Manfred said owners authorized him to implement management’s proposal from last offseason, which calls for a 20-second pitch clock this year, if an agreement cannot be reachedwith the players’ association. Management has proposed a deal that would phase in new rules over the next three seasons.
“We remain 100 percent committed to the idea that we need tomake changes to address pace of game and that the best way to address pace of game for us, for the players and most importantly for our fans is to get an agreement with the players,” Manfred said. “There is a strong sentiment among ownership that we need to do something about pace of play this year.”
Manfred thought he was close to a deal during the offseason but union head Tony Clark told him players rejected the proposal.
MILLER WINS CASE » Pitcher Shelby Miller won his salary arbitration case against Arizona after missing most of last season because of a torn elbow ligament, a decision that gave players a 2- 0 record this year. Miller was awarded a $200,000 raise to $4.9 million.
Olympics
SOME RUSSIANS HAVE BANS OVERTURNED » Twentyeight Russian athletes had their Olympic doping bans overturned Thursday, throwing the International Olympic Committee’s policy on the country into turmoil.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling was set to reinstate seven Russian medals from the 2014 Sochi Olympics, including gold in men’s skeleton and men’s 50-kilometer crosscountry skiing.
“This does not mean that these 28 athletes are declared innocent, but in their case, due to insufficient evidence, the appeals are upheld, the sanctions annulled and their individual results achieved in Sochi are reinstated,” CAS secretary general Matthieu Reeb said.
The IOC said it had taken note of the CAS decision “with satisfaction on the one hand and disappointment on the other,” adding the decision “may have a serious impact on the future fight against doping.”
The 28 who had their bans lifted could now seek late entry into the Pyeongchang Olympics, but the IOC said “not being sanctioned does not automatically confer the privilege of an invitation.”
Golf
HAAS LEADS PHOENIX OPEN » Bill Haas played a fivehole stretch in 5 under and shot a 7-under 64 to take a two-shot lead at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Haas birdied Nos. 12 and 13, made a 20-footer for eagle on the par-5 15th and hit to 3 feet to set up another birdie on the par-3 16th, the stadium hole that tripped up Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas. Haas added birdies on Nos. 2 and 4 and parred the final five.
Fowler bogeyed the 16th in a 66 that left him tied with Billy Horschel, Bryson DeChambeau, Chris Kirk and Chesson Hadley.
WOODS’ NIECE JUST OFF LEAD » Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger Woods, is one stroke off the lead at 5-under 68 at the Ladies European Tour opener in Barwon Heads, Australia, despite not practicing because an airline problem delayed the arrival of her clubs.